Rail-joint.



. J. D. KOHER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION I'ILED SEPT. e, 1911.

Patented June 11, 1912.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. KOI-IER, or CROMWELL, INDIANA, AssIe-No aor ONE-HALF 'ro ALoNzo MILLER, or CROMW'ELL, INDIANA.

RAIL-JOINT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. KOHER, citizen of the United States, residing at Cromwell, in the county of. Noble and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints and has for its main object to provide a joint of simple and durable construction which shall present an unbroken tread surface for contact with the wheels of railway rolling stock, thereby preventing the crushing and hammering down of the rail ends.

A further object is to provide a rail joint, the construction of which is such as to allow for the expansion and contraction of the rails without interfering with the continuity thereof.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device operatively connecting adjacent rail sections; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sec tion on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the device mounted between the rail ends; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the plates showing the inner face thereof.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing bythe same reference characters.

The invention is best shown in connection with a railroad track in which R designates the rails and T the cross ties thereof; The

' adjacent rail ends are connected by the imthe rails. The joint embodies coacting plates 1 and 2 so formed as to fit closely between the head and base of the rails and secured to the rails on each side thereof by the bolts 3 which latter pass through spaced openings 3 near one end of the plates, through the web of the rail and through slots 4 in the mating plate, being secured in this rela- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

surface of the main rails. .of the enlargements fit snugly against the Patented June 11, 1912.

Application filed September 6, 1911. Serial No. 647,933.

each plate is slidably connected to one rail I and rigidly connected to the other rail.

The plates 1 and 2, intermediate the ends thereof, are provided with overlapping enlargements 7 and 8 respectively, which are interposed between the adjacent rail sections and thus form a continuation of the tread The outer ends treads of the adjacent rail sections and are secured thereto bythe firm connection between the plate integral therewith and the rail, thus forming the butt joints A and B. Theinner ends of the tread enlargements 7 and 8 overlap to form a scarf joint C having an inclined face 10 and a shoulder 11 which abuts against the end of the adjacent enlargement. The tread enlargement of each plate overhangs and rests on the mating plate within a guiding recess 12 in the upper edge thereof, said recess thus forming shoulders 13 and 14,: which by engagement with the adjacent ends of the enlargements, limit the sliding movement, during expansion and contraction of the rails.

' The inner faces of the plates are provided with thickened portions 15' which register and thus form a continuation of the main rail web and afford firm support for the superimposed tread portions. The shoulders 16, in longitudinal al-inement with the main rails, abut against the adjacent rail web, when the joint is assembled.

For the. purpose of strengthening the plates, the lower edge which rests on the rail base, is reinforced as at 17, the under side of each plate being recessed to form shoulders 18 which abut against the ends of the rail base as shown in the drawing.

It will now be readily seen that the square abutting joints A and B, formed by the meeting of the rail treads with the tread enlargements, are always kept tight because the rail and. the plate carrying the enlargement are'firmly held together. Thus when expansion or contraction takes place in the rails, the scarf joint C is the joint which adjusts itself to the movement of the rails, and being a lapped joint always presents an unbroken tread surface. During any variation in the rails, each enlargement, of course, slides along in the recess 12 of the mating plate and is thereby firmly supported.

It will also be apparent that the butt joints A and B, being always tight, do notallow hammering and pounding of the'rail ends, incident to the passage of railway rolling stock and neither can this hammering take place at joint O because of its lapped construction. Moreover the length of the rail embracing plates 1 and 2, fitted between the head and base of the rails, insures a nonsagging rail joint.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. In a rail joint, the combination with adjoining rail sections, of continuous plates disposed on opposite sides of the rail sections and having their intermediate portions spanning the junction of the rails and the outer ends of the plates secured to the rails, and overlapping enlargements on said plates between the rail sections to form a continu ation of the tread surface.

2.'In arail joint, the combination with adjoining rail sections, of coacting plates spanning the junction of the adjacent rail ends, and inter-engaging tread portions on the plates between the inner ends of the rail sections, each plate being rigidly secured to one rail at one end and slidably secured to the other rail at the other end of the plate.

3. In a rail joint, the combination with adjoining rail sections, of continuous plates disposed on opposite sides of the rail sections and having their intermediate portions spanning the junction of the rails, and the outer ends of the plates secured to the rails, overlapping tread enlargements on each plate,

each enlargement having a square shoulder abutting against the adjacent rail end, and means for securing said shoulder in con stant engagement with said rail end to form a continuous tread surface. 4:. In a rail joint, the combination with adjoining rail sections, of coacting plates, spanning the junction of adjacent rail ends, overlapping tread enlargements 011 each plate, means for rigidly securing one end of each plate to the adjacent rail section with the enlargement abutting firmly against the rail tread, and means for slidably securing the other end of the plate to the adjoining rail section thus providing for variation in the movement of the overlapped terminals of the tread enlargements.

5. In a rail joint, the combination with adjoining rail sections, of coacting plates spanning the junction of adjacent rail ends, overlapping tread enlargements on said plates between the inner ends of the rail sections and forming a continuous tread surface, and means forming a rigid connection between one plate and the adjacent rail and a sliding connection between the other plate and the same rail on the other side thereof. 7

6. In a rail joint, the combination with adjoining rail sections, of continuous plates disposed on opposite sides of the rail sections and having their intermediate portions spanning the junction of the rails, and the outer ends of the plates secured to the rails, overlapping tread enlargements on said plates between the inner ends of the rail sections and forming a continuous tread surface, each tread enlargement overhanging and slidably mounted on the adjacent plate.

7. In a rail joint, the combination with adjoining rail sections, of continuous platesv disposed on opposite sides of the rail sections and having their intermediate portions spanning the junction of the rails, and the outer ends of the plates secured to the rails, and overlapping tread enlargements on said plates between the inner ends of the rail sections and forming a continuous tread surface, each enlargement overhanging and slidably mounted on the adjacent plate, and 01T- sets formed on each plate and having their inner vertical faces disposed in contact with each other to form a continuation of the web of the rail sections.

8. In a rail joint, the combination with adjoining rail sections, of continuous plates disposed on opposite sides of the rail sections and having their intermediate portions spanning the junction of the rails, and the outer ends of the plates secured to the rails and overlapping tread enlargements on said plates between the inner ends of the rail sections and forming a continuous tread surface, said plates bein formed to fit snugly between the head an base of the rails on each side thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN 1). KOHER. a 3.

Witnesses: ALBERT BLY, CHAS. MOMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, G. 

